English Verb Tenses (Nhấn phím CTRL + Click chuột để đến nội dung) • Types of Verbs • Active/Passive • Simple Present • Present Continuous • Simple Past • Past Continuous • Present Perfect • Present Perfect Continuous • Past Perfect • Past Perfect Continuous • Simple Future • Future Continuous • Future Perfect • Future Perfect Continuous • Used to • Would Always • Future in the Past Types of Verbs Before you begin the verb tense lessons, it is extremely important to understand that NOT all English verbs are the same. English verbs are divided into three groups: Normal Verbs, Non- Continuous Verbs, and Mixed Verbs. Group I Normal Verbs Most verbs are "Normal Verbs." These verbs are usually physical actions which you can see somebody doing. These verbs can be used in all tenses. Normal Verbs to run, to walk, to eat, to fly, to go, to say, to touch, etc. Examples: • I eat dinner every day. • I am eating dinner now. Group II Non-Continuous Verbs The second group, called "Non-Continuous Verbs," is smaller. These verbs are usually things you cannot see somebody doing. These verbs are rarely used in continuous tenses. They include: Abstract Verbs to be, to want, to cost, to seem, to need, to care, to contain, to owe, to exist . Possession Verbs to possess, to own, to belong . Emotion Verbs to like, to love, to hate, to dislike, to fear, to envy, to mind . Examples: • He is needing help now. Not Correct • He needs help now. Correct • He is wanting a drink now. Not Correct • He wants a drink now. Correct Group III Mixed Verbs The third group, called "Mixed Verbs," is the smallest group. These verbs have more than one meaning. In a way, each meaning is a unique verb. Some meanings behave like "Non- Continuous Verbs," while other meanings behave like "Normal Verbs." Mixed Verbs to appear, to feel, to have, to hear, to look, to see, to weigh . List of Mixed Verbs with Examples and Definitions: to appear: • Donna appears confused. Non-Continuous Verb Donna seems confused. • My favorite singer is appearing at the jazz club tonight. Normal Verb My favorite singer is giving a performance at the jazz club tonight. to have: • I have a dollar now. Non-Continuous Verb I possess a dollar. • I am having fun now. Normal Verb I am experiencing fun now. to hear: • She hears the music. Non-Continuous Verb She hears the music with her ears. • She is hearing voices. Normal Verb She hears something others cannot hear. She is hearing voices in her mind. to look: • Nancy looks tired. Non-Continuous Verb She seems tired. • Farah is looking at the pictures. Normal Verb She is looking with her eyes. to miss: • John misses Sally. Non-Continuous Verb He is sad because she is not there. • Debbie is missing her favorite TV program. Normal Verb She is not there to see her favorite program. to see: • I see her. Non-Continuous Verb I see her with my eyes. • I am seeing the doctor. Normal Verb I am visiting or consulting with a doctor. (Also used with dentist and lawyer.) • I am seeing her. Normal Verb I am having a relationship with her. • He is seeing ghosts at night. Normal Verb He sees something others cannot see. For example ghosts, aura, a vision of the future, etc. to smell: • The coffee smells good. Non-Continuous Verb The coffee has a good smell. • I am smelling the flowers. Normal Verb I am sniffing the flowers to see what their smell is like. to taste: • The coffee tastes good. Non-Continuous Verb The coffee has a good taste. • I am tasting the cake. Normal Verb I am trying the cake to see what it tastes like. to think: • He thinks the test is easy. Non-Continuous Verb He considers the test to be easy. • She is thinking about the question. Normal Verb She is pondering the question, going over it in her mind. to weigh: • The table weighs a lot. Non-Continuous Verb The table is heavy. • She is weighing herself. Normal Verb She is determining her weight. Some Verbs Can Be Especially Confusing: to be: • Joe is American. Non-Continuous Verb Joe is an American citizen. • Joe is being very American. Normal Verb Joe is behaving like a stereotypical American. • Joe is being very rude. Normal Verb Joe is behaving very rudely. Usually he is not rude. • Joe is being very formal. Normal Verb Joe is behaving very formally. Usually he is not formal. NOTICE: Only rarely is "to be" used in a continuous form. This is most commonly done when a person is temporarily behaving badly or stereotypically. It can also be used when someone's behavior is noticeably different. to feel: • The massage feels great. Non-Continuous Verb The massage has a pleasing feeling. • I don't feel well today. Sometimes used as Non-Continuous Verb I am a little sick. I am not feeling well today. Sometimes used as Normal Verb I am a little sick. NOTICE: The second meaning of "feel" is very flexible and there is no real difference in meaning between "I don't feel well today" and "I am not feeling well today." (quay trở lại đầu trang) Active / Passive Verb Forms Sentences can be active or passive. Therefore, tenses also have "active forms" and "passive forms." You must learn to recognize the difference to successfully speak English. Active Form In active sentences, the thing doing the action is the subject of the sentence and the thing receiving the action is the object. Most sentences are active. [Thing doing action] + [verb] + [thing receiving action] Examples: Passive Form In passive sentences, the thing receiving the action is the subject of the sentence and the thing doing the action is optionally included near the end of the sentence. You can use the passive form if you think that the thing receiving the action is more important or should be emphasized. You can also use the passive form if you do not know who is doing the action or if you do not want to mention who is doing the action. [Thing receiving action] + [be] + [past participle of verb] + [by] + [thing doing action] Examples: Active / Passive Overview Active Passive Simple Present Once a week, Tom cleans the house. Once a week, the house is cleaned by Tom. Present Continuous Right now, Sarah is writing the letter. Right now, the letter is being written by Sarah. Simple Past Sam repaired the car. The car was repaired by Sam. Past Continuous The salesman was helping the customer when the thief came into the store. The customer was being helped by the salesman when the thief came into the store. Present Perfect Many tourists have visited that castle. That castle has been visited by many tourists. Present Perfect Continuous Recently, John has been doing the work. Recently, the work has been being done by John. Past Perfect George had repaired many cars before he received his mechanic's license. Many cars had been repaired by George before he received his mechanic's license. Past Perfect Continuous Chef Jones had been preparing the restaurant's fantastic dinners for two years before he moved to Paris. The restaurant's fantastic dinners had been being prepared by Chef Jones for two years before he moved to Paris. Simple Future will Someone will finish the work by 5:00 PM. The work will be finished by 5:00 PM. Simple Future be going to Sally is going to make a beautiful dinner tonight. A beautiful dinner is going to be made by Sally tonight. Future At 8:00 PM tonight, John will be At 8:00 PM tonight, the dishes will be Continuous will washing the dishes. being washed by John. Future Continuous be going to At 8:00 PM tonight, John is going to be washing the dishes. At 8:00 PM tonight, the dishes are going to be being washed by John. Future Perfect will They will have completed the project before the deadline. The project will have been completed before the deadline. Future Perfect be going to They are going to have completed the project before the deadline. The project is going to have been completed before the deadline. Future Perfect Continuous will The famous artist will have been painting the mural for over six months by the time it is finished. The mural will have been being painted by the famous artist for over six months by the time it is finished. Future Perfect Continuous be going to The famous artist is going to have been painting the mural for over six months by the time it is finished. The mural is going to have been being painted by the famous artist for over six months by the time it is finished. Used to Jerry used to pay the bills. The bills used to be paid by Jerry. Would Always My mother would always make the pies. The pies would always be made by my mother. Future in the Past Would I knew John would finish the work by 5:00 PM. I knew the work would be finished by 5:00 PM. Future in the Past Was Going to I thought Sally was going to make a beautiful dinner tonight. I thought a beautiful dinner was going to be made by Sally tonight. (quay trở lại đầu trang) Simple Present FORM [VERB] + s/es in third person Examples: • You speak English. • Do you speak English? • You do not speak English. USE 1 Repeated Actions Use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is repeated or usual. The action can be a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens. It can also be something a person often forgets or usually does not do. Examples: • I play tennis. • She does not play tennis. • Does he play tennis? • The train leaves every morning at 8 AM. • The train does not leave at 9 AM. • When does the train usually leave? • She always forgets her purse. • He never forgets his wallet. • Every twelve months, the Earth circles the Sun. • Does the Sun circle the Earth? USE 2 Facts or Generalizations The Simple Present can also indicate the speaker believes that a fact was true before, is true now, and will be true in the future. It is not important if the speaker is correct about the fact. It is also used to make generalizations about people or things. Examples: • Cats like milk. • Birds do not like milk. • Do pigs like milk? • California is in America. • California is not in the United Kingdom. • Windows are made of glass. • Windows are not made of wood. • New York is a small city. It is not important that this fact is untrue. USE 3 Scheduled Events in the Near Future Speakers occasionally use Simple Present to talk about scheduled events in the near future. This is most commonly done when talking about public transportation, but it can be used with other scheduled events as well. Examples: • The train leaves tonight at 6 PM. • The bus does not arrive at 11 AM, it arrives at 11 PM. • When do we board the plane? • The party starts at 8 o'clock. • When does class begin tomorrow? USE 4 Now (Non-Continuous Verbs) Speakers sometimes use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is happening or is not happening now. This can only be done with Non-Continuous Verbs and certain Mixed Verbs. Examples: • I am here now. • She is not here now. • He needs help right now. • He does not need help now. • He has his passport in his hand. • Do you have your passport with you? ADVERB PLACEMENT The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc. Examples: • You only speak English. • Do you only speak English? ACTIVE / PASSIVE Examples: • Once a week, Tom cleans the car. Active • Once a week, the car is cleaned by Tom. Passive (quay trở lại đầu trang) Present Continuous FORM [am/is/are + present participle] Examples: • You are watching TV. • Are you watching TV? • You are not watching TV. USE 1 Now Use the Present Continuous with Normal Verbs to express the idea that something is happening now, at this very moment. It can also be used to show that something is not happening now. Examples: • You are learning English now. • You are not swimming now. • Are you sleeping? • I am sitting. • I am not standing. • Is he sitting or standing? • They are reading their books. • They are not watching television. • What are you doing? • Why aren't you doing your homework? USE 2 Longer Actions in Progress Now In English, "now" can mean: this second, today, this month, this year, this century, and so on. Sometimes, we use the Present Continuous to say that we are in the process of doing a longer action which is in progress; however, we might not be doing it at this exact second. Examples: (All of these sentences can be said while eating dinner in a restaurant.) • I am studying to become a doctor. • I am not studying to become a dentist. • I am reading the book Tom Sawyer. • I am not reading any books right now. • Are you working on any special projects at work? [...]... "be" and "verb+ ing." Examples: • • • She is always coming to class late He is constantly talking I wish he would shut up I don't like them because they are always complaining REMEMBER Non-Continuous Verbs/ Mixed Verbs It is important to remember that Non-Continuous Verbs cannot be used in any continuous tenses Also, certain non-continuous meanings for Mixed Verbs cannot be used in continuous tenses Instead... possible to insult someone by using this tense incorrectly REMEMBER Non-Continuous Verbs/ Mixed Verbs It is important to remember that Non-Continuous Verbs cannot be used in any continuous tenses Also, certain non-continuous meanings for Mixed Verbs cannot be used in continuous tenses Instead of using Present Perfect Continuous with these verbs, you must use Present Perfect Examples: • • Sam has been having... exercising at that moment OR that he had just finished REMEMBER Non-Continuous Verbs / Mixed Verbs It is important to remember that Non-Continuous Verbs cannot be used in any continuous tenses Also, certain non-continuous meanings for Mixed Verbs cannot be used in continuous tenses Instead of using Past Perfect Continuous with these verbs, you must use Past Perfect Examples: • • The motorcycle had been... finishing my homework, she is going to make dinner Correct AND REMEMBER Non-Continuous Verbs / Mixed Verbs It is important to remember that Non-Continuous Verbs cannot be used in any continuous tenses Also, certain non-continuous meanings for Mixed Verbs cannot be used in continuous tenses Instead of using Future Continuous with these verbs, you must use Simple Future Examples: • • Jane will be being at... little girl Although the above use of Present Perfect is normally limited to Non-Continuous Verbs and non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, the words "live," "work," "teach," and "study" are sometimes used in this way even though they are NOT Non-Continuous Verbs ADVERB PLACEMENT The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc Examples: • • You... Non-Continuous Verbs cannot be used in any continuous tenses Also, certain non-continuous meanings for Mixed Verbs cannot be used in continuous tenses Instead of using Past Continuous with these verbs, you must use Simple Past Examples: • • Jane was being at my house when you arrived Not Correct Jane was at my house when you arrived Correct ADVERB PLACEMENT The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs... Simple Present rather than Simple Future This is because the interruptions are in time clauses, and you cannot use future tenses in time clauses USE 2 Duration Before Something in the Future (Non-Continuous Verbs) With Non-Continuous Verbs and some non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, we use the Future Perfect to show that something will continue up until another action in the future Examples: • • I... in advance A: Had you ever visited the U.S before your trip in 2006? B: Yes, I had been to the U.S once before USE 2 Duration Before Something in the Past (Non-Continuous Verbs) With Non-Continuous Verbs and some non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, we use the Past Perfect to show that something started in the past and continued up until another action in the past Examples: • • • We had had that car... I have been to Mexico in the last year I have been to Mexico at least once at some point between 365 days ago and now USE 2 Duration From the Past Until Now (Non-Continuous Verbs) With Non-Continuous Verbs and non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, we use the Present Perfect to show that something started in the past and has continued up until now "For five minutes," "for two weeks," and "since Tuesday"... because they had owned it for more than forty years Although the above use of Past Perfect is normally limited to Non-Continuous Verbs and noncontinuous uses of Mixed Verbs, the words "live," "work," "teach," and "study" are sometimes used in this way even though they are NOT Non-Continuous Verbs IMPORTANT Specific Times with the Past Perfect Unlike with the Present Perfect, it is possible to use specific . three groups: Normal Verbs, Non- Continuous Verbs, and Mixed Verbs. Group I Normal Verbs Most verbs are "Normal Verbs." These verbs are usually. REMEMBER Non-Continuous Verbs/ Mixed Verbs It is important to remember that Non-Continuous Verbs cannot be used in any continuous tenses. Also, certain non-continuous